A programmable integrated circuit (IC) refers to a type of device that includes programmable logic. An example of a programmable device or IC is a field programmable gate array (FPGA). An FPGA is characterized by the inclusion of programmable circuit blocks. Examples of programmable circuit blocks include, but are not limited to, input/output blocks (IOBs), configurable logic blocks (CLBs), dedicated random access memory blocks (BRAM), digital signal processing blocks (DSPs), processors, clock managers, and delay lock loops (DLLs).
Modern programmable ICs have evolved to include programmable logic in combination with one or more other subsystems. For example, some programmable ICs have evolved into System-on-Chips or “SoCs” that include both programmable logic and a hardwired processor. Other varieties of programmable ICs include additional and/or different subsystems.